Senior Responsible Owner

**Details**:
**Reference number**:

- 349160**Salary**:

- £75,000 - £117,800- A Civil Service Pension with an average employer contribution of 27%**Job grade**:

- SCS Pay Band 1**Contract type**:

- Permanent**Business area**:

- CEFAS - Corporate**Type of role**:

- Operational Delivery
- Project Delivery
- Senior leadership**Working pattern**:

- Flexible working, Full-time, Job share, Part-time**Number of jobs available**:

- 1Contents

Location

About the job

**Benefits**:
Things you need to know

Location
- This vacancy is based at our site in Lowestoft.About the job

**Job summary**:
This is an exciting opportunity to lead our work to identify how we will continue to collect marine scientific data at sea as our current research vessel, Cefas Endeavour, approaches the end of its planned economic life in 2033. You will be responsible for delivering the Cefas Future Delivery at Sea project, leading the project team working to develop a replacement capability to allow us to continue to undertake essential marine science at sea. As the project’s Senior Responsible Owner, you will be accountable for the project meeting its objectives, delivering the projected outcomes and realising the required benefits.

The establishment of this project and associated strategic outline case (SOC) has been approved by Defra, HM Treasury and the Infrastructure and Projects Authority (IPA). It is included in the government’s refresh of the National Shipbuilding Strategy and forms part of the National Shipbuilding Office’s 30 Year Cross-Government Shipbuilding Pipeline. Due to the size, complexity and cost of the project it is being included in the government major projects portfolio, which oversees the largest, most innovative and highest risk projects and programmes delivered by government. You will need to be confident operating in this environment and managing the scrutiny from other parts of government associated with major projects. The postholder will also be accountable to Parliament and may be called to provide evidence on progress with delivery of the project.

Initially, the role will involve overseeing the appraisal of options for a replacement capability and building the business case which supports a preferred option. You will need to involve specialists from across Cefas and beyond to determine our future scientific needs and ensure we can develop the capability needed to meet them. You will also need to have a good understanding of the potential of new technologies to increase our ability to collect and analyse data as well as to help support the transition to net zero. Once a preferred option has been identified, you will be responsible for its delivery including managing delivery risks, overseeing complex and high value procurements and commercial decision making, reaching judgements on tenders, preferred suppliers and evaluating value for money.

**Job description**:
The postholder will report to the Cefas Chief Executive. You will also be part of the broader senior leadership team in Cefas and be expected to fulfil other senior roles as required. The role is based in Lowestoft, Suffolk and we currently expect at least 60% of your working time to be spent at a Cefas site or in off site meetings with partners and customers.

More information on the responsibilities of SROs in government can be found in the Project Delivery Profession capability framework and in the supplementary document The role of the senior responsible owner (publishing.service.gov.uk).

As Senior Responsible Owner for the project key responsibilities include:

- **Leadership** - act as the champion for the project and take personal accountability for its delivery. Provide clear leadership and strategic direction to the Project Director, project team and Project Board throughout the life of the project. Delegate responsibilities and agrees clear limits and performance criteria. Is a visible, engaged, active leader who creates an open and honest culture.
- **Stakeholder management** - Influence and manages the operating environment into which the project outcomes will be delivered, including relationships with key stakeholders, business owners and other project sponsors. Builds effective relationships with key strategic stakeholders obtaining their commitment to the project objectives and benefits.
- **Benefits management** -responsible for ensuring the Project delivers the business case benefits and outcomes. Put plans and monitoring in place post-project to assure sustainability and to enable benefits realisation in the longer-term.
- **Governance** - Establish appropriate, robust and efficient governance to ensure the project is governed responsibly.
- **Reviews and assurance** - Ensure an appropriate level and frequency of assurance reviews are established and adhered to. Monitor and control progress of the project at a strategic level.
- **Business change and implementation** - Ensures the strategic direction of the project